


Through Rivalry, Comes Love

by Sterek_Stelena_Spoby



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 04:38:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1805584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sterek_Stelena_Spoby/pseuds/Sterek_Stelena_Spoby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the rainy city of Seattle, two companies fight to stay on top. In the end, two people must decide who they will remain loyal to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through Rivalry, Comes Love

**Author's Note:**

> A/N If you would like me to continue, PLEASE let me know. I do not want to write a story that you all find no interest in. I would rather spend my energy writing something that people enjoy reading. So, your thoughts are appreciated :)
> 
> Also, I am leaving this story rated PG-13, but it may get a little risqué at certain moments. I do not want to offend anyone, so I will do my best to keep it tame while also keeping it… sexy? Is that the right word? There will be some use of language as well, but not all the time.
> 
> Finally, this is a fragment of my imagination and is strictly a fantasy. It is meant for entertainment uses ONLY! Please respect that. 
> 
> I would like to update this story at least twice a week. Depending on my classes this may fluctuate, so please be patient with me.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (BTW Seider is pronounced like Cider)

"Check!" he said, catching the waitress by her arm as she rushed passed him. She smiled and nodded, promising to be right back with it. "You have to be on top of these people or you'll never get any service." he said smugly. Ashley forced an agreeing smile. "What do you think about me coming back to your place with you this evening?" she asked. His head snapped up from his phone as he looked at her. "You know I love having you over." he said, giving her his signature smile. "But I'm pretty tired and I have an early meeting." he said, shooting her down. "I'll just drop you off at your place and see you tomorrow." he said. "Oh, okay." Ashley said, trying not to sound disappointed. But he didn't seem to notice. His check was handed to him and he was placing his credit card in the holder, handing it back. Ashley sat back in her chair and focused on anything but him. She shouldn't have been so bothered by his rejection. It was pretty frequent lately. The drive back to her place was short and rejecting too. He stayed on his phone the entire time, not even looking at her. But he loved her. Kyle. Kyle loved her. Ashley was sure of it. It was just the price of being in a relationship with the CEO of the company she worked for. He was busy. When they were parked outside of her building, he ended his phone call. "I'll see you tomorrow." he said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. "Goodnight." he smiled. She smiled as well. He could be sweet when he wanted to be. "I love you." she said. He smiled again. "Love you too." he told her. Ashley got out of the car and waved to him as she walked to the front of her building. As she took out her keys, she saw his car pull out of the lot and back onto the road. She sighed. She loved him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Goodnight Mr. Hemmings." he heard as he grabbed his bag and his coat. He looked up to see an elderly woman doing the same, giving him a warm smile as she waved at him. He returned her smile. "Betty, how many times do I have to tell you?" he asked her. "Luke. Call me Luke." he said, shutting the door to his office. His brother's decision to hire Betty as their receptionist five years ago had been the smartest thing the elder Hemmings had done. The elderly woman was like a grandmother to everyone, fussing over their lunch and their personal lives. He loved it because quite frankly, he needed someone to do that sometimes. Betty smiled again, paying him no mind. Her professional manner would always win out. "I'll walk out with you." she said, shutting her computer down. Stefan waited patiently by her desk until she was by his side. "Any plans this evening?" she asked as they walked. "Might you have a special evening planned with someone special?" she hinted. Luke smiled. "No, nothing special this evening." he answered. "A handsome young man like you should have a special lady in your life you know." she told him. Luke again smiled. "Work keeps me pretty busy." he said, opening the door for her. She shook her head disapprovingly. "Rubbish." she said. "A special young lady is exactly what you need so you can learn to have fun and relax." she explained as they made their way to her car. He helped her with her door and waited patiently for her to get in. "You're going to eat dinner tonight, yes?" she asked. Yes, she fussed over him the most because of his single status. Luke smiled. "I'm going to my brother's house." he assured her. When her door shut, she rolled down her window and smiled at him. "Have a good night Mr. Hemmings." she told him, driving off before he could correct her. Stefan waved until he could no longer see her car. He shook his head and laughed as he walked to his own car. Once inside, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He was exhausted trying to keep the company afloat. Although his older brother was working hard to help, Ben had a fiancé to get home to, leaving Luke to work the long, late hours.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Luke let himself into his brother's house and could already smell the food that was coming from the kitchen. "Hello?" he asked, walking into the house a little more. Caroline appeared, giving him a big smile. "You came." she said, sounding almost surprised. Though, he never usually came over for dinner, choosing to go home and be by himself. Or, work even later into the evening and sleep at the office. "Ben said you threatened to drag me over here if I didn't." Luke said, accepting Caroline's hug. "You know I would have." she smiled, letting him go. "How was work?" she asked. "Work was… work." he said, sounding exhausted. Ever since a neighboring rival company in the area started up a year ago, business had taken a hit. Hemmings Coffee had been around for decades thanks to Luke and Ben's family. Now, with Kyle's Coffee Company in the local and national distribution playing field, the Hemmings were trying to find a way to survive. "You work too much." Caroline said, following Luke into the dining room that was already set up for them. She took his jacket and put it aside. Caroline had always fussed that work took up too much of their time. Ben had always wanted to make sure he could buy Caroline anything she wanted, but what he had failed to see was, all Caroline wanted was for Ben to be happy. They could have been living in a cardboard box and she would have been happy as long as she had Ben. It was a wonderful relationship to have, though, it continued to remind Luke of what he was missing. And the business was important to him for reasons besides an income. It had been in the family for quite some time and Luke didn't want to see it go under. "Someone has to." he mumbled under his breath, replying to her last statement. "Red wine okay?" Caroline asked, pouring him a glass. He took it gratefully, working hard not to chug it all down at once. He wasn't even really that hungry. He was too worked up about the survival of a family business.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

After dinner, Luke and Ben went out to the garage and sat down at a table in there to discuss the plan of action needed for their company. "The only way Hemmings Coffee is going to survive for years to come is if we permanently take down Kyle's Coffee." Ben said, tapping his pen on the table. "Their business is doing really well." Luke reminded. "How do you suppose we knock out a thriving company?" he questioned. Ben smirked. "Every company has a week spot, little brother." Ben said, already scheming in his mind. "We just have to find it, expose it, and watch the company crumble." "Why do I get the feeling that you already have a plan?" Luke asked, running his hand over his face. Ben's grin intensified. "Why little brother, you are correct." he said, slapping the table as he stood. "I got you a meeting with the Chief Financial Officer of Kyle's Coffee" Ben smiled. "You are meeting for dinner tomorrow night." Luke groaned. "I do not want to have dinner with some dude who is the reason my company is failing." he said, banging his head down on the table and leaving it there. Ben smirked. "The Chief Financial Officer is a woman." he informed his brother. Luke slowly lifted his head up. "Her name is Ashley Seider. She holds the exact same title as you, so you two will have plenty to talk about. Wine her. Dine her. Charm her. Do whatever you have to do to get information out of her. She knows the ins and outs of her company. She has to have some pretty juicy tidbits for us." "Have you ever met this Ashley Seider?" Luke asked, seeing his brother shake his head no. "She's probably old and crotchety" he sighed. "Why can't you do this?" he asked. "Because. You are much better with words than I am. And, Caroline would kill me if she knew I was flirting with someone else." he added. "Who knows. You might even get this Ashley into bed if she's your type." Ben grinned. "I'm not that desperate. Yet." Luke glared at him. "If you say so." Ben said. "Oh, and by the way. You're paying for dinner and drinks." he added before disappearing back into the house. Luke put his head back on the table and groaned some more. This was a horrible idea, trying to get information out of the rival. His brother was an idiot.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm doing what tonight?" Ashle asked as she stood dumbfounded in Kyle's office. He sat in his oversized chair and stared at her. "I got a call from Benjamin Hemmings asking if my Chief Financial Officer would meet with his tonight to discuss business." he said. "I'm sure they are fishing for information, seeing as how we are taking all of their business. So, I am counting on you to get information out of this guy tonight and report back." he explained. "Maybe we can shut down business at Hemmings Coffee once and for all." he grinned. Ashley threw her hands up in frustration. "Why can't you meet with him?" she asked. Kyle smiled. "Because," he shrugged. "A pretty little thing like you will catch his attention and make him lose his focus." he explained. "Do whatever you have to do to get him to tell you things." Ashley was less than thrilled. "What if he wants me to sleep with him?" she asked, waiting for Kyle's jealousy surface. After all, they were a couple. But Kyle just shrugged. "Sleep with him then." he said, standing. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm counting on you, Ashley." he said, leaning in and kissing her lips slowly. Then, he was out the door, leaving Ashley to stand alone in his office. Irritancy didn't even begin to describe what she was feeling. She had much more important things to do, things that were making sure Kyle's company was staying on top, than to go flirt with the rivaling company all evening. Some might have said Kyle was using her for personal gain, sending her to this meeting instead of going himself. And if she had let herself believe it, what would there have been left in her relationship to believe in?

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ashley checked herself in her full length mirror, looking her dress over. It was too … business-y. It would show that she was professional, but would probably bore him. Ashley was quite aware of what Mr. Hemmings – Luke Hemmings – looked like. He was very attractive and to catch his interest, she needed to be too. Pretty wasn't going to cut it tonight. She had to be alluring too. But not slutty. Therefore, she tossed a low-cut dress to the side. She'd never be able to sit through dinner wearing that thing anyways. If she looked easy, he'd find a way to get the upper hand. She was quite smart herself, having two Master's degrees at the age of 25. But she was quite aware that when the Hemmings wanted something, they usually went after it. And if they wanted information on Kyle's Coffee, they would fight like hell to get it, and she had to be prepared to turn the tables. So, an elegant dark green dress was the winner. Not too tight, but hugging her in all the right places and falling just past her knees. The dress had short sleeves, making her look professional and hiding just enough to make him wonder what was underneath the dress. Not that he would ever find out, but, it would give her an edge tonight and in any other encounters they might have in the foreseeable future. Ashley checked her watch and decided she should probably head out. She wanted to arrive after him so he could see her walk in. Her legs were her best asset, according to Kyle. Luke would definitely get to see them tonight. She grabbed her purse and made sure her recorder was inside, along with her wallet and other essential items for freshening up in the bathroom. With one last look at herself, she headed out the door

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Luke took a sip of the merlot he had ordered as he sat at the table, awaiting the arrival of this Ashley Seider. He checked his watch and took note that she was not going to be early. But he was willing to bet she wouldn't be late either. And he was right. He saw a young woman check in with the host and then check her coat. He then saw them make their way to his table. He nearly dropped his glass of wine when he finally got a good look at her walking towards him. Big, bright brown eyes, long, silky chocolate brown hair, and a perfect light olive complexion. Why in the hell had he been regretting this evening? He was the luckiest bastard alive. He watched the bottom of her green dress hit lightly against her knees as she walked. She walked with perfect balance in her brown heels. "Mr. Hemmings?" he heard, snapping him out of his intent awe. He quickly jumped up from his seat and set his glass of wine down, giving her his full attention. "I'm Ashley Seider." she said, extending her hand with genuine politeness that he hadn't seen in quite some time. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ashley. And please, call me Luke." he said, giving her a beautiful, charming to die for smile. She didn't seem to be falling for it though. "I prefer to keep this as professional as possible, Mr. Hemmings." Ashley said, taking her hand back as she began to pull out her chair. He could have slapped himself for his lacking manners as he moved around the table. "Allow me." he said, grabbing the back of the chair and pulling it out for her. "Thank you." she said. He moved back to his seat and grabbed for the bottle of merlot on the table. "May I offer you a glass?" he asked, keeping with the polite professional tone that she had set. "Please." she said, watching as he skillfully poured her a glass and handed it to her. She had to focus intently on making sure the tart liquid went into her mouth and not dribble down her chin. Because Luke Hemmings was even sexier in person than in any photo she had ever seen. "I take it you are well aware of what we are doing here tonight?" she asked, placing her glass down on the table. Luke smiled at her. "I was briefed, yes." he said, holding his smile and looking into her eyes. She didn't look away though and he was pretty sure it was to not look weak. "But why spoil the evening with talk of business." he told her. "We are both very talented CFO's for our companies. I say we get to know each other tonight and discuss business some other time." Crap. He was trying to seduce her. And she could have fallen into the palm of his hand at any moment if she so much as chose to. Double crap. Why couldn't Luke Hemmings be extremely unattractive? "Mr. Hemmings." she said, trying to regain her power in this conversation. Hell, trying to regain power of her body that was screaming at her to let him have his way with her in the back of his expensive car. "I would prefer that we stick to the agenda tonight and discuss business." she told him, keeping her composure. Luke tilted his head to the side slightly, indicating that he was in fact studying her features. "You look absolutely beautiful tonight." he told her. So this was how he was going to play all night. She would get nowhere with him if she didn't flirt back. But clearly, her efforts to stay professional were not a turn-off for him. They were a challenge. Good. She could give him a challenge. New plan. Make him want her to the point where he would do anything to have her, including willingly giving her information about his company that was vital to its survival. "I haven't been told that in quite some time." she said, allowing a slow, innocent smile to creep across her lips. It was true. Kyle didn't give out compliments. But it was also working to her advantage tonight. Luke gasped, clearly being dramatic for added effect to make her smile. "Who in their right mind wouldn't tell you how beautiful you look everyday." he said, turning the charm way up. Luke was well aware that Miss Seider was in a relationship with Kyle of Kyle's Coffee. Luke could give you a few choice words to describe the guy and most of them stemmed from the fact that the asshole was trying to sink the Hemmings coffee business. "You sure know how to make a girl feel wanted." Ashley said, allowing a blush to appear on her cheeks. "Someone as smart and beautiful as you should always feel wanted." Luke told her, taking another sip of is wine and keeping his eyes on her the whole time. "Shall we order?" he asked, snapping his fingers to get the waiter's attention. He was at their table within seconds. "I'll have the linguini with a side salad." Ashley ordered. "And this lovely woman will have?" he asked, giving Ashley their full attention. "A Caesar salad please." she said, handing the waiter her unused menu. "I hope you save room for dessert. They make an excellent truffle cheesecake." Luke said, leaning in just a bit to lock eyes with her again. Ashley smiled. "Will you excuse me? I need to use the ladies room." she said. He stood with her and when she passed him, she stopped for just a moment, allowing her side to touch his. She reached up slightly so she could whisper in his ear with utmost confidentiality. "I prefer to have dessert first." she said, leaving her words to register in his mind and her warm breath to linger against his ear. She dropped her hand ever so conspicuously, resting it against his abdomen, getting her first peek at what she had been internally debating in her head all day. He worked out. With that, she smiled and began walking towards the restrooms, disappearing into the women's. He sat down quickly because he could have deconstructed at any moment. God, she was driving him crazy. And he was letting her. He looked back towards the restrooms, then around the restaurant. It wasn't very busy in there. He could sneak in without being noticed. Slowly, he got up and meandered toward the back, looking one last time before slipping into the women's room. He walked past the stalls and the sink, seeing that she wasn't using any of them. He opened another door to the powder room and saw her leaning against the sink, smiling devilishly at him. She slowly walked towards him, feeling extra bold. Maybe it was the little bit of wine in her system. Or maybe it was Kyle's voice in the back of her head, telling her to do whatever it would take to get Luke Hemmings to talk. She placed her hands on his chest, watching his eyes that were glued to hers. His hands slowly slid up to hold her waist, more to steady himself than to touch her. Ashley stepped even closer to him, effectively pressing her body against his. She could feel his breathing falter. He was losing control. In all honesty, so was she. "Ashley." he said, his voice cracking as he said it. That's it, she thought. She just had to give him that little boost to push him over the edge. Slowly, she undid the top button of his neatly pressed blue shirt. It really brought out the green in his eyes. Ashley smiled as she reached up on the tips of her toes so her lips hovered next to his ear. "Just one little tidbit of information about your company, and you can have me all. Night. Long" she whispered slowly and seductively. His body tensed and she felt it. He. Was. Hers. He rested the side of his head against hers, letting himself try and guess what shampoo she used. Her hair smelled like vanilla. He could tell she was on edge too and they were both trying to see who would give in first. "If you tell me your company's secrets, I'll tell you mine." he whispered dangerously into her ear, igniting a fire inside of her that she was going to have to spend hours putting out. She was well aware that his statement had a double meaning to it. He smirked, feeling how her body had reacted to that comment. Better yet, how her body had reacted to him. "Better yet, I'll show you." he promised, moving his hips towards hers just a little more. Ashley had to bite down on her tongue to keep from crying out. Damn her body for betraying her. "I asked you first." she said, trying to sound as if she was unaffected by his latest movement. She kept debating with herself whether or not she would have sex with this man tonight, knowing that she would get what she wanted. Kyle wanted. She heard Luke chuckle softly, sending a vibration through her ear and thus, through her body. "Looks like we've reached a stalemate then." he said, loosening his grip on her waist and taking a small step back. Ashley almost felt the energy drain out of her body from the loss of contact with him. She looked up at him and saw the sparkle in his eyes. He wanted to remain in control. He had never planned on losing it. "It's a shame, really." he said, a faint smirk lingering. He leaned in and she could feel his warm breath against her neck. "I'm willing to bet we could have rocked each other's worlds tonight." he whispered, leaving a soft, gentle kiss on the side of her cheek as he pulled away from her. He dropped his hands to his sides, effectively dissembling all contact. Then, he smiled at her. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Seider. I do hope we meet again." With that, he straightened out his shirt, fixed the top button, and left the bathroom. Ashley stood there, her legs barely holding her up. Sexual frustration didn't even begin to describe her problems right now. Luke Hemmings had just gotten the better of her, and she didn't take kindly to being played at her own game.


End file.
